The Inheritance Cycle
by times-a-tickin
Summary: My take on The Inheritance Cycle. Shorter. More to the point. Happier ending. Its pretty much the original, but its different. Read and find out! Rated T for language, suggestive themes, inappropriate humor, etc. Don't like, don't read. Yes, eventually there will be some E/A.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Don't own the Inheritance Cycle. Period. **

* * *

**Hey guys. I know I haven't posted anything in forever. Sorry. **

**This is going to be a little messy. I'll try to have some actual plot, but it's mostly going to be whatever I want it to be at that moment. But I'll just say this. I'm redoing the whole Inheritance Cycle. From the very beginning. The idea is going to be the same, but it won't be that close to the original. For example, the Ra'zac will be dead before the battle of Farthen Dur. Just so you know. Don't like: don't read. **

**Also, if I leave out a part, and make reference to it in this, assume it happened the same as in the books. Arya's capture for example. **

**Thanks!**

* * *

The flash of light was blinding.

He didn't pay it any attention. His prey was startled: on the run. he jumped up and closed one eye, for he was seeing double. Aiming down his arrow, he saw the doe running. But she wouldn't get away. Not this time.

He fired.

The arrow flew from his bow, toward the deer. It hit her square in the chest. As she fell, she knocked over her Fawn, sending it flying over a small ledge. He heard the crack as the fawn's head hit the rock below. No sound came from it.

However, the doe was making as much noise as she could. He quickly went over and put the deer out of it's misery.

Only then, did he turn around to see what had caused the bright flash.

Sitting in a blackened crater was a blue stone.

* * *

**That's the beginning. Yes I know it was short. Get a life. What I really wanted to demonstrate was his focus. Not bad. Eh?**

**Anyways, this is pretty much the intro. Don't review if you're gonna say it was too short. I might even post the next chapter later today. **


	2. Family

**Disclaimer: do I really have to say it?**

**Just so you know, the theme of the chapters varies with my mood. With that first chapter, I was mad. Nothing to do with you guys. Just FYI. If I feel really good, the chapter will almost be crack-fic.**

* * *

Eragon knew the stone was perfect.

It was a royal blue, with veins of darker blue and black running through it. It was smooth. Smoother than anything he had every felt before. The was about a foot long and 5 inches wide. It was surprisingly heavy. It felt as if it as made of iron.

Eragon spent several minutes examining the stone. However, he did eventually feel the cold seep through his clothes and start to chill him.

He jumped up and retrieved the two deer. Since the two deer, the stone, and his pack was too much for him to carry over any real distance, he decided to build a sled. It took him several minutes, but eventually it was big enough to fit the two deer and his pack. He stuffed the stone in his pack, because if he put it anywhere on the sled, it would fall off.

Pulling the strap he had attached to the sled over his shoulder, he started off towards the village.

* * *

A day later he came into sight of his farm. He looked down the hill and saw his cousin Roran waving to him. Laughing, Eragon shouldered his pack and jumped on the sled with the two deer. He pushing himself until he started flying down the hill. He had enough momentum to carry him all the way to the house.

His cousin came over to help him carry the two deer and his pack inside. Once he got insidewe're was greeted by his uncle Garrow and his aunt Marain.

His uncle was a rough guy. He was known for his drinking, cursing, and strength. However, never once in his life did he lay a hand on either his son Roran or his nephew Eragon. He had worked on a farm all of his life, and it showed. He had numerous scars up and down his body. He was well muscled, with short brown hair and a pair of twinkling eyes.

Roran looked much like his father. He was well muscled and had short brown hair. At 17, he was already a man by their standards. Eragon knew it would not be long until he had to choose a wife. However, his eyes were blue, unlike his father's which were brown.

Roran got the blue eyes from his mom, Marian. She must have been very attractive in her youth, for even at the age of 45, she was still beautiful. She was of medium height with long flowing black hair. Her blue eyes were keen and observing. She was slim, but had fairly large breasts and buttocks. Many people often wondered how Garrow was able to earn her hand in marriage.

Both Garrow and Marian were delighted with the deer, especially the bigger was enough meat on the bigger one to last several weeks. The two deer together could probably last the whole winter. Roran and Garrow went out to skin the deer as well as salt and dry the venison for storage.

None of them knew about the stone he had found in the spine. It was still hidden in his pack. Eragon grabbed it and went to his room, where he unpacked his things, which consisted of a flint, a little tinder, a bedroll, some leftover food, and finally the stone. He returned the food to Aunt Marian, but kept the stone hidden underneath his bed. He took his bow and quiver with all his arrows in it, and placed them on hooks on the wall of his room.

When he was done unpacking, he went back out into the kitchen to see Garrow and Roran already finished with the deer. Marian was making some stew with some of the venison. Once she was finished, they sat down to eat. Eragon told them about his trip, which had been fairly uneventful until the day he actually killed the two deer. He left out the part about the blinding flash and the stone because he wanted to keep that a secret. After the meal, Garrow went outside to tend to the crops in the few remaining hours of daylight, while Roran and Marian cleaned up. Eragon tried to help, but they insisted, saying that he mist have been tired from his long journey.

Eragon eventually relented and went back to his room. He grabbed a new tunic and trousers, since he had been in the same ones for weeks, and put them on quickly. He spared a fleeting glance at the mirror. What he saw caused him to look back. He started at his reflection. **(FYI! This is how I see Eragon. Probably not how CP thinks he looks!)** At 14, he wasn't very far away from man hood. He looked to be a little under 2 meters tall. He was certainly taller than Roran and Marian. He didn't have the same muscled build of Roran or Garrow, but he prided himself on being fit. His skin was tanned from years of working and playing outside. He had deep brown eyes and dark brown, almost black, hair. One might say he still had the last little bit of baby fat on his cheeks.

Eragon smiled. While he was not arrogant enough to think he was the most handsome man in all of Carvahall, he knew he was somewhat good looking. However, since their farm was several miles from the village, he didn't get to see the girls of Carvahall much.

He turned away from the mirror and laid down on his bed. Yes, life was good. His Aunt and Uncle had been good parents. He had known his mother when he was little. However, she had died when he was five. Since then, he had lived with his aunt and uncle. He had never known his father.

* * *

**What do you think? Good? Bad? Excellent? Terrible? Should be burned and eaten by a toad (oh wait toads don't exist :P)?**

**Reviews appreciated. Next chapter tomorrow hopefully!**


	3. The Storm

**Hey everyone. Chapter 3! I finally got a bate! Thanks Lunar-Sickness!**

* * *

It was four days after Eragon got back from his hunting trip. The blue rock was still under his bed; and he took it out every once in a while to look at it and admire it. He felt foolish saying it, but he was attracted to the rock. It was perfect. At times, it was almost as if the rock would shake in his arms.

The whole family was getting ready for the harvest. They needed to harvest the crops so they could sell the extra to buy provisions for winter. Luckily, they wouldn't need meat; Eragon had taken care of that. Still, they did needed things like cloth, thread, salt, spices, and other things like that.

The night before the harvest, there was a storm, a bad storm. Eragon heard his Aunt and Uncle talking about how this was one of the worst storms they had been in. At one point, Uncle Garrow had to run outside and help a horse that had gotten loose get back into the barn.

In the morning, they went outside to the destruction. Their fields were destroyed. There were hardly enough crops to feed them for a week, much less sell for a good profit.

The day came when the merchants came to Carvahall. They were nomadic people who traded with people all over Alagaseia. Because they hadn't been able to harvest their crops, Eragon's family was forced to sell almost everything else. They collected items to be sold. Extra pots and pans. Some of the excess venison from Eragon's hunt. They collected the items and what crops they could salvage to be sold to the merchants. They loaded this stuff onto their wagon and rode into Carvahall.

As they were leaving, Eragon remembered the rock under his bed. It was beautiful, sure to get the family a lot of money. As much as he hated it, Eragon knew he needed to sell it. He told his uncle to wait while he ran inside to grab something.

When he got inside, he remembered that he hasn't told his family about the rock.

'I don't know why I didn't just tell them,' thought Eragon.

Scowling, he stuffed the rock in his pack and grabbed his flask of water, using it as his excuse for coming back. It was a long ride after all.

When they got to Carvahall, they went their separate ways: Marain to buy provisions for the winter; Garrow to sell their goods; and Eragon and Roran to go enjoy themselves with the other youth.

Eragon made to go to the tavern, where some other children were sure to be, but turned down a street and looped back towards the merchants. There, he went searching for a jewelry seller. He finally found one, and asked him to examine his rock.

"How much do you think it's worth?" Asked Eragon nervously. His family really needed the money.

"I'm not sure," said the merchant, in a thick, guttural voice. His skin was light brown, a rarity among the usually white humans. He had short black hair and a closely shaved goatee. "It's strong. Stronger than diamond. I don't think I could even make it small enough to make it wearable. Also it's hollow. It's not worth as much if its hollow."

Eragon frowned. He didn't think it was hollow. It was much too heavy for that. However, he would take the merchant's word for it.

"I'll take it off your hands for 5 crowns," said the merchant, finally.

"What?!" cried Eragon. "It's worth at least 5 times that!"

The merchant frowned. "What am I supposed to do with it? I can't chip off pieces for jewelry. It's too hard. I bet I couldn't even sell it for 3 crowns."

Eragon scowled. "I'll just take it and leave then."

Eragon grabbed the rock and stormed out of the tent, shoving the rock in his pack along the way. On his way out, he bumped into someone. It was Brom, the village storyteller. He often told stories about dragons, elves and dwarves. Many people doubted that they were true. Eragon didn't know what to believe. He hadn't seen enough to prove the stories true of false.

"Oh... Hello Brom," said Eragon. The old man was about his height, had short grey hair, a long hooked nose, and a thin, wiry frame. He carried with him a thick, gnarled staff.

The old man's eyes twinkled with amusement, even though his face held a scowl. "What's that you got there, boy?" He asked in a gruff, yet smooth voice.

Eragon looked at the ground and kicked a pebble. He had never been a good liar.

'I suppose that's a good thing,' he thought.

"I'm buying a necklace for my mother," he replied.

Brom laughed. "Don't lie to me boy. You're hiding something in there." Quick as a fox, he snatched Eragon's pack away from him. Holding the boy away with his staff, he pulled the stone out of the bag.

Eragon saw Brom's eyes flash with recognition, then shifted to a mixture of amazement and confusion. That gave him the moment he needed to bat aside the staff and grab the bag and the stone from the old man.

Brom turned slowly towards Eragon, still looking amazed. He reached into his pocket and grabbed his purse. "How much for the rock, boy?"

Eragon thought about it. Better to start high where he could barter down if necessary. "40 crowns," he said, fairly confident that Brom didn't have the money.

To his surprise, Brom counted the money out and handed it to Eragon. Eragon was shocked. Where did he get this money? Counting it for himself, he realized it was actually 45 crowns. Before he could say anything, Brom grabbed the stone and walked away.

Eragon was confused. He didn't know what just happened. He went to a tent to buy a piece of candy and a warm pie with the money. He sat down and thought about it, and, of course, ate. After he finished, he searched for his Uncle, to whom he gave the rest of the money, about 43 crowns. When asked where he got the money, Eragon just said, "I sold a rock I found in the Spine." The reply seemed to satisfy his Uncle, if the money didn't.

Garrow pocketed the coins and turned back to Eragon. "Go find your cousin. Tell him we're dining at Horst's tonight." Eragon nodded and walked off.

Eragon found Roran on the porch of the tavern. He had been sitting there and talking with Katrina. 'Gods,' thought Eragon, 'soon he'll have a house of his own.' Roran and Katrina both blushed when they saw him.

Roran and Eragon then went to Horst's, where they had a big dinner. The slept there that night, for Horst's house had plenty of rooms. In the morning, they got up, had a quick breakfast, and headed back to their house.

They were almost out of the village when Eragon remembered he had left his pack at Horst's. He told his family to go on while he ran back to get it. Horst's wife Elain was waiting outside their house, holding his bag. He thanked her and ran back to his family.

He only got a couple of meters when he heard his name form his right. He turned to see Brom at the doorway to his house, holding a bundled object. Eragon walked over. Brom said, "here, take this. Don't leave your house for the next couple days. Say you're sick. And don't come back into town for a while. A month or two would be best." Brom shoved the object into his hands, which Eragon noticed was shaking slightly. He moved the blankets enough to psee that it was the rock.

Eragon looked back to Brom. "What about the money? We can't b-"

"Don't worry about the money!" snapped Brom. "Just go home and do as I say."

Eragon stuffed the rock in his bag and ran back to his family. He hopped on the wagon and rode back home.

* * *

**What do you think? Now that my grammar is readable, is it good, or bad? Thanks!**


	4. Burns

Hey guys chapter 4!

* * *

Eragon sat on his bed, staring at the stone.

It was sitting on a table. Every few seconds it would give a little shake, then fall still again. Eragon was perplexed. 'Since when do stones move?' thought Eragon. The stone gave a particularly violent shake, and fell of the table.

Eragon was alone in his room. He had taken Brom's advice and told his aunt and uncle that he wasn't feeling well. Garrow was outside cutting firewood while Marian and Roran were cooking dinner. That left Eragon alone to contemplate.

Eragon bent down to grab the stone. It wouldn't do to have someone walk in on him watching a stone shake. Pulling one of the floorboards up, he stashed the still shaking rock under his floor. No one would find it there.

Just as he replaced the floorboard, he heard his Aunt's footsteps at the door. He scrambled back into bed and pulled the covers over his body just as she opened the door, carrying a tray with his dinner. Faking a cough, Eragon hid a smile. 'Everyone likes to be spoiled once and awhile.'

* * *

It was more than a day later when the stone came back toEragon's mind. It was early in the morning, before the sun was even peaking over the horizon. He heard a scratching sound from where he had hidden the stone.

Groaning silently, Eragon rolled out of bed. He pulled the floorboard up and peered in the hole.

Before he could even comprehend what he was seeing, a blue bird-thing jumped out at his face. Eragon yelped and moved his head to the side. The thing flew past his head, grazing his temple. Eragon lunged for his bed, pulling a stick he had been carving out from underneath. He flipped on his back just as the thing lunged at him again. He swung the stick, hitting the thing on the side, exciting a startled yelp.

Eragon cried in victory, and lunged out to grab the thing. It looked awfully like a lizard, but blue and with a bigger body, bigger legs, and wings. Eragon grabbed the things head, then immediately recoiled in shock. His hand burned. The pain was incredible. It was even worse than the time he cut his arm open sharpening Farrow's scythe.

The pain slowly crawled up his arm. The world felt as if it was going in slow motion. Each second felt like an hour. Up his bicep, over his shoulder, and into his chest. Eventually, Eragon passed out.

* * *

_Eragon was running through the plants. Even on all fours, he was moving surprisingly fast. He was running away from the house for some reason. He tried to stop, but he wasn't in control of his body. An animal-like presence was._

_He ran up a fallen tree and jumped off the end. Opening up his wings, he tried to glide back down to the ground. But his wings wouldn't stay out. He wasn't strong enough. His wings crumpled and he fell down to the ground, which was such a long distance away._

_The last thing he thought before he passed out was, 'I don't see in blue.'_

* * *

When he woke up again, he felt the cold hard wood underneath him. Every muscle in his body burned. He tried to move, but it felt as if his muscles had been removed from his body. He just couldn't move.

Mentally sighing, for he was incapable of physically sighing, he gave up. Then he noticed something strange. The world seemed...more open. Like another dimension had been added. He felt like his head was a cup of water, full to the very brim.

He reached out with his mind, and saw light, all around him. In the plants. In the ground. In the fly that buzzed around his room. Scared, Eragon withdrew and huddled in his mind.

Eventually, he cracked open his eyes. He was staring at the ceiling. Groaning, he slowly sat up. He looked around and saw that the thing that had attacked him was gone.

He rubbed his eyes. Pulling his right hand away from his eye, he saw a strange mark on his hand. It started right where his thumb met his palm. The silver mark went around his palm, away from his thumb, before looping back to form a spiral. It was like that letter that Garrow had taught him. 'A, B, C, D,...E. That was it! E!' thought Eragon, remembering the first letter of his name. It looked exactly like an 'e'. He tried to rub it off, but it wouldn't budge. Sighing, he just left it. It would be easy enough to hide.

He pushed himself to his feet and stood on wobbly legs. Looking outside, he realized only a couple of minutes had passed. It seemed like hours ago that the scratching first woke him up.

He walked over to the hole and peered down it. Inside, there were what appeared to be egg shells. Picking one out, Eragon actually realized that they were shards from the stone he had put there two days ago.

Still stiff and weary, he walked out of his room and to the kitchen, where he got some dried venison. Sitting down at the table, he chewed on the tough meat and contemplated what happened last night. He remembered fighting the thing. Then he touched it and the terrible pain. Then he went running through the field. And fi-

'Wait a moment. I didn't go running.' But it was so realistic.

He got up and went outside. There was a path of prints, claw prints maybe, that led away from the farm. Following it, he eventually reached the place where his farm met the forest. There was a fallen tree there. He went to the other side and saw that the trunk was 5 feet in the air. Then he looked down and gasped.

Laying on the ground was a dragon. Outside, when it wasn't attacking him, he could see what it was.

It was about two feet long. Half of that was made up of a long tail. On the end of the tail was a knob. Connected to the tail was it's body. It looked like a lizard in that it had four legs, but it's legs protruded downward, not outward. Then there was the neck, and then the head. It had big eyes, he could tell even when they were shut, and a long snout, that took up most of the head. It was covered fully in dark blue scales. It's belly was lighter, with some of the scales even looking white. Where he imagined it's shoulder blades would be, there were a pair of wings. They were each the length of it's body. One covered it's body, while the other one lay at an awkward angle underneath it.

Eragon frowned and cautiously reached for it. He rolled it onto its back, where he could get to the wing better. He saw that it was broken. Deciding that it was better to fix it while the dragon was unconscious, he grabbed the wing on each side of the brake. He pulled the halves away from each other and then placed them back together carefully. He tore a piece of his shirt off and used it to tie the wing to it's body. Now it couldn't injure it again.

Deciding it would most likely survive if someone took care of it while it was healing, Eragon carefully picked it up and carried it back inside.

* * *

**yay! She hatched. Review!**


	5. Riders

**Hey everyone. Sorry I haven't posted a chapter in a while. I was sick and I really didn't feel like writing. **

**Review responses below.**

* * *

In a little more than a week, the dragon had already grown a ton. It's shoulder was even with Eragon's waist, making its head about even with Eragon's chest. It was longer from snout to tip of the tail than Eragon was tall.

As it had grown, so had its appetite. The first few days, Eragon had been able to feed it scraps of meat from his plate. But after that, he had had to start trapping animals for it, mostly rodents. It was starting to figure out how to hunt, but it still couldn't sustain itself. Also, since it had gotten so big, Eragon couldn't keep it in his house anymore. At first he just put some soft grass in the hole under the floorboards in his room. But after one day it had gotten to big, and he had been forced to take it outside. Eragon had built a small hut for it under an overhang. It was almost too big for it.

It's wing had healed in a couple of days, but it showed no interest in flight. It was content to stay by Eragon's side on the ground. He knew that it would only be a matter of time before it got big enough to survive on its own, and it would leave him. But it hadn't run away yet, and Eragon didn't want to chase it away.

Eragon was relaxing in his room on day when his Uncle came in. "I need to go into town to talk to Horst about repairing our plow. It's getting dented, and it barely made it through this last season." He hesitated, like he had lost his train of thought, then said, "Would you like to go with me?"

"Yea," replied Eragon, "that would be great." He wanted to talk to Brom. He had acted weird when he had seen the dragon's egg.

* * *

The next morning, they packed a few things, and started the long journey to the village. Last night, Eragon had tried to communicate with the dragon. He had found that he could somewhat touch it's mind with his own. It's mind felt surprisingly complex. It was intelligent, more than he would have imagined. He had tried to tell it to stay, but he doubted that it had understood, but, as they left, he didn't see the dragon running after him.

When they got there, Garrow went to the blacksmith's house while Roran, who had also accompanied them, went toward the tavern. Eragon, meanwhile, went to Brom's house.

Brom's house was small, probably only containing 3 rooms. When he knocked on the door, he heard a crash, like that of a chair falling over. After several seconds, the door opened to a disheveled Brom. Initially, he had a sleepy, almost bored look about him. However, as soon as he saw, or comprehended, that Eragon was standing at his door, he immediately sharpened up. He quickly grabbed Eragon's shirt and pulled him into the house.

Once he was pushed into a chair and the door was secured shut, Brom turned to Eragon. Before he said anything, he grabbed Eragon's hand and looked at his palm. When he saw the spiral mark, he scowled and let go of his hand. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. "I told you not to come into town. And last time I checked, my house is in town." He scowled and turned away, mumbling to himself. Before Eragon could say anything, Brom turned back to him and said, "When did it hatch?"

Eragon hesitated. What did Brom want? He had known Brom most of his life, but certainly didn't trust him very much. "Eight days ago," he finally replied.

Brom frowned. Did anything make him happy? Eragon scowled and stood up. "What do you know that I don't?"

Brom appeared hesitant. After a moment Brom said "sit down boy," in a low tone. "and listen carefully. That **thing** that hatched for you yesterday was a dragon. If you haven't already figured that out, then you're daft and your father should have disposed of you at birth, to relieve the world of a terrible burden. Anyway, you will not tell anyone about this dragon. You haven't told your family, right?" When Eragon shook his head, he continued. "You will not try to chase it off. You will not tell anyone. You will not try to kill it. You will not tell anyone. You will feed it until it can hunt for itself, which should be in the next few days. And, most importantly, **you will not tell anyone.**"

Eragon frowned. "What's the big deal? It's a dragon. Who cares? It's just an animal. Why should I d-"

Brom stood up and smacked Eragon across the cheek. "Just an animal? **JUST AN ANIMAL? **Boy I outta strike you down right here for that. You will never refer to your dragon as animal."

"My dragon? I didn't ask for this. I don't want a dragon."

"Well it's a little late for that, isn't it?" He turned and walked to a window. "It's getting dark. You won't travel home tonight. Get out of my house. Come into town when you can. We'll talk."

* * *

As Brom had predicted, they spent the night in Carvahall. After a hearty dinner at Horst's house, they went out to the campfire in the center of the village. There, stories were told and songs were sang. But the grand finale was Brom's story.

As he stepped forward, Eragon could feel the tension increasing. It was as if time had stopped, and Brom held the key to starting it again.

"This that I will now tell you, you will not read in any book. This tale exists in only its purest form: memory.

"Many years ago, before even your grandfather's fathers were born, there existed the Riders. Never was there any group so noble and proud. Their mission was to protect and guard, and for thousands of years they succeeded." Brom looked at Eragon. "They were unstoppable in battle, their ferocity bested only by their dragons, and immortal unless blade fell them. The land flourished. All the races were our allies. The dragons, elves, and dwarves roamed the land. But it could not last.

"Then there came a young Rider named Galbatorix. He was the best of his age. So it became that, after his training, he took a trip with his friends. It was here, that his dragon was killed, by Urgals. Slewing his attackers, he tried to save his dragon. But he died in his arms. And thus the seeds of madness were planted.

He returned to the Riders and requested another dragon; a request that was denied. Enraged, he left and secluded himself. Soon, he befriended another Rider by the name Morzan. Together, he and Morzan captured another Rider with a young dragon. They killed the Rider and bonded the dragon with Galbatorix.

"Galbatorix enlisted twelve other Riders to his cause, aptly named the Forsworn. Together they wreaked havoc on the inhabitants of Alagaesia. At the last battle, at the gates of Doru Areaba, Vrael, the leader of the Riders defeated Galbatorix. Alas, he hesitated at the last blow and Gablatorix wounded him on the side. Vrael retreated while the Riders were defeated. He fled to the Spine, where he was eventually defeated by Galbatorix.

Galbatorix proceeded to Illeria, now named Uru'bean, and killed the late king. Taking his crown as his own, Galbatorix became our king. And he has ruled us even since." Brom glanced at Eragon once more before shuffling back into the crowd.

"Be glad," whispered his Uncle in his ear, "I have only heard his tell that story once before. If the Empire knew he told it tonight, he would have a rope around his neck by the end of the week."

Eragon shivered and looked back at the glowing fire.

* * *

When they got home the next day, Eragon immediately made up an excuse to go outside. He ran to the dragon's shelter, only to find that it wasn't there. Eragon let loose a cry of frustration and fell on the ground. He was resigned to wait for it.

He lay on his back and looked up at the sky. There was an opening in the trees, that showed the sky. A pair of birds were floating in the sky. Eragon smiled and watched them; he had always envied birds for their ability to fly. One bird started diving, becoming larger. The other bird just kept flying, unaware of the other. The diving bird appeared very large, grabbing the smaller one in its claws and continuing downward. Eragon watched in interest. The bird kept diving, appearing to come toward Eragon. It got lower and lower. _  
_

And then it roared.

Eragon gaped. It was no bird. He could see the blue tint now. Flaring it's wings, the dragon stopped it's descent and floated down to the ground. In its claws was a hawk. _Even a predator can't stand up to a dragon, _he thought.

The dragon seemed to smile and dropped the hawk. Moments later, only feathers remained.

Eragon stood up and walked over to the dragon. _What are you? _He knew very little about dragons. He didn't even know what gender this one was. He tried to grab it to look, but it kept running away.

He scowled and reached towards it with his mind. It's mind seemed even more intelligent now, almost like it had developed. There was also a distinctly feminine aura about its thoughts. _Her thoughts_, thought Eragon.

He tried to send a word to it. _Girl?_ he thought-spoke.

She responded with _Eragon._

He flinched. He hadn't expected that. He said _Your name?_

_Eragon._

_That's my name. What's your name?_

_Eragon._

Eragon was getting frustrated. _Is that all you can say?_

She seemed to smile again. _Yes._

_Oh great, now she has a sense of humor._ Eragon frowned. She was obviously not just an animal, as Brom had insisted. It was like she was a person, but in an animal.

Eragon asked it every name he could think of, but to no avail. He even tried a couple of male names. Just as he got up to go home, more than three hours later, the dragon said to him, _Saphira._

Eragon smiled. It was a fitting name. _I'll see you tomorrow...Saphira._

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated. I want your honest opinion. Don't tell me it's awesome, because it's not. **

**Review Responses:**

**Elemental Dragon Slayer: haha yeah. I was trying to add a little excitement to the chapter. Other than the ordinary excitement of Saphira hatching, of course. And yeah, I almost took out the part about selling the egg, but I liked the way it flowed.  
**

**Tamerlain85: I really don't know how to respond to that.  
**

**OCD Manga Geek: I get you. They were pretty lengthy. Glad you approve.  
**


	6. A Broken Mug

**Hey guys. I'm sorry I haven't uploaded in a while. My bad. Busy Christmas. Anyways, Happy Holidays to all of you and have a great new year.**

* * *

It was more than a month later when Eragon finally got to go back into town. It had been a busy month. Roran had announced that he was going to leave for Therinsford to be apprenticed to a carpenter there. Eragon didn't like it, but he knew it was necessary. _Everyone has to grow up eventually_, he thought.

In that month, Saphira had grown even faster. She was now slightly taller than a full grown horse. Eragon was still too heavy for Saphira fly with him on her back, but she could carry him short distances on her back. In addition, she could hunt for herself. Birds were easy prey, but rodents such as rats or rabbits were too fast for her to chase them in between the trees. She had even caught a small deer once, but it had been limping. It was only a matter of time before deer would be the only thing that would sustain her. They still spent time together in the forest, but not every day, as Eragon didn't need to feed her anymore and she was very independent.

Eragon had told Saphira he would be gone a couple of days. They were going to spend a week in Horst's house. They needed to get supplies for Roran, for his journey to Therinsford. In addition, they wanted to stop by the carpenter's store, to see if they could purchase some tools. While the carpenter knew that Roran was inexperienced at carpentry, to was always a nice gesture to bring tools of your own.

It was not only that, but there was a big celebration going on in Carvahall. One historian reckoned that seven hundred years ago was the founding of Carvahall. They didn't usually celebrate the village's birthday, but with all the grim news they had heard recently, someone thought it would be a good idea to have a party. And everyone else agreed.

Once they got into town, Garoow and Roran went to the carpenter's while Eragon once again went to Brom's.

Brom invited him in and even gave him a mug of warm tea this time. "Drink up, before it gets to strong," said Brom. Eragon did, scalding his tongue.

"Is it a girl or a boy?" asked Brom.

"Whaa?" responded Eragon, surprised by the direct line of questioning. "Oh... it's a girl. Her name's Saphira."

Brom stiffened. The mug of tea in his hand fell to the floor, shattering. Eragon looked up, surprised. He had never seen Brom act like this. He was always either smooth and composed or very angry. There wasn't much of a medium or surprised.

Very quietly, Brom siad, "Leave. Come back tomorrow."

Once again startled, Eragon quickly stood up and walked out the door. He turned around to look back inside just in time to see Brom slam the door in his face.

_What in the world was that all about?_ thought Eragon. Realizing he was still holding Brom's mug, he gently placed it on his doorstep and went in pursuit of his uncle and cousin.

* * *

**Sorry about the short chapter and late update. Holiday fever I guess. Anyways, I'm working on the next and I should have it up tomorrow, but I'm sorry if I don't. Haappy new year everyone. **


	7. Strangers Asking Questions

**Sorry about the short chapter yesterday. This one is where the first real big difference between the real Inheritance Cycle and mine. **

* * *

That night, as he lay in bed, Eragon reached out with his mind to Saphira. They had never been this far apart, and he wanted to see if he could communicate with her. Reaching out, he groped around blindly for Saphira's mind. He was just able to brush her mind, and give her the general feeling that he was alright, before he lost connection.

Eragon smiled. Never before had they been able to communicate this far away from each other. They were a little more than three leagues from each other now. They had barely been able to manage one league before.

Sighing contentedly, Eragon rolled over and went to sleep.

* * *

Eragon went to Brom's house again the next day. On his way, he walked by the tavern in time to see a cloaked stranger walk out the doors.

Just the sight of the stranger gave Eragon the creeps. It was about six feet tall. It's face and body were obscured by a long black cloak. It walked with an awkward, stumbling gait.

Eragon darted into a nearby alley and watched the stranger walk past. After a couple of seconds, he poked his head out. Seeing the stranger turn into the blacksmith's, Eragon ran in pursuit.

He leaned in close so he could hear what they were saying. He heard Horst say, "I haven't seen anything like that. No one really hunts in the Spine anyways."

The creature responded in a creepy, scratchy voice. "Tell ussss if your hear anything." Eragon only had a second to move out of the way before the stranger walk out the door. He watched as it walked away.

Taking a deep breath, he rounded the corner and went into the blacksmith's workshop. Horst was pounding on a piece of metal. Eragon waited while he finished pounding and then stuck it into the fire. Turning around, Horst smiled when he saw Eragon.

Smiling in return, Eragon said, "Are Albriech and Baldor coming to the celebration tomorrow?" Albriech and Baldor were Horst's sons. Albriech was Roran's age and Baldor was Eragon's. Baldor was basically Eragon's best friend.

"Aye," responded Horst, "but that's not what you really want to talk to me about, is it?"

Eragon smiled. Horst was smarter than a lot of people gave him credit for. "So what was that man asking about?"

Horst shrugged. "I'm not really sure. He was asking about some sort of stone." Eragon felt the smile drop of of his face. "Apparently it had been lost in the Spine." Horst shrugged again. "They must be pretty fond of this stone."

It took everything Eragon had not to shake. He bid Horst a hasty farewell and went towards Brom's house.

He only got halfway when he realized he was being followed.

Now if Eragon was anything, he was smart. After he looked back the first time and saw the cloaked stranger following him, he didn't look back again. Instead, he darted behind a building and started sprinting towards the forest about 100 yards away. He was halfway to the tree line when he heard the most unearthly screech he had ever heard.

Turning around, he saw the cloaked stranger running towards him. It was running faster than Eragon could imagine. It was already nearly upon him.

Eragon tripped and landed on his face. He rolled over just in time to see the thing jumping at him. It landed on top of him, pushing the air out of his lungs. Even as he struggled for breath, the thing breathed out a putrid breath. Eragon choked, grabbed at it's hood. He flung the hood off, unveiling a face that was truly not human. It had big black eyes that took up most of it's head. Underneath that was a beak that was nipping at him.

The last thing he was aware of before he lost consciousness was a flash of silver, and a sickening screech.

* * *

**DA DA DA DUUUUUMMMMMM! Guess who the cloaked stranger is. Anyways, probably won't be able to post a new one tomorrow, but maybe the next day? I don't know. Happy New Year!**


	8. A Friendly Stranger

__**Here's the next chapter. Nice and long so don't complain. Review responses below. **

* * *

_Someone was running through the forest._

_Darting around trees, they were running almost to fast to see. He got brief glimpses. A flash of pale skin. A sight of raven locks fluttering in the wind._

_Suddenly, the person burst into a clearing. It was a girl._

_And she was beautiful. She looked to be on the cusp of womanhood, a little older than Eragon. She had long dark raven locks and pearly white skin. She had slanted eyes and a sharp, angular face. Her green eyes were wide open in an adrenaline rush. _

_She gave a cry of anguish as she saw what was in the clearing. Bloody bodies were strewn across the circular clearing. All of them were dead. Some had arms and legs at awkward angles and others had gashed in their torsos. _

_Gruff shouts came from behind her. Startled, she looked back, then rushed forward. She picked her way through the field of bodies, then surged forward again when she reached the forest. _

* * *

Eragon gasped and sat up straight. He was covered in sweat and a blanket that someone had put over him was on the floor.

It took him a moment to realize where he was. He was in Brom's house. That _thing_ had attacked him and he had passed out.

He thought about the girl. She was beautiful. _Too bad she's not real, _thought Eragon. He had never seen her before, and he didn't usually dream about things that were anyways.

He slowly got out of the bed. His head felt like a horse had stepped on it. He carefully got up and staggered into the living room. Brom was in the kitchen, cooking something that smelled like Eragon's shoes. Brom turned around and saw Eragon. "'Bout time you got up," he said with a scowl.

"How long have I been asleep?" asked Eragon. It was dark outside. He must have slept through most of the day.

"Three days," said Brom.

_Three days?!_ thought Eragon. _Roran was supposed to leave today!_

As if he read Eragon's thoughts, Brom said, "No, your cousin hasn't left yet. He decided to stay one more day to say good-bye to you."

Eragon sighed in relief. He would never have forgiven himself if he hadn't been able to say good-bye. Eragon staggered over to a chair and fell down into it. Brom brought over a bowl of something that looked like oatmeal and a piece of bread. He gratefully took it and started shoving it down his throat. He was starving.

After he had finished eating, he leaned back in his chair and looked at Brom. Before he could say anything, Brom said, "I bet you are wondering what that thing is that attacked you." Eragon nodded. "Alright, but don't interupt me," warned Brom. Eragon nodded again.

"That thing was a Raz'ac. They are one of the darkest creatures to ever live in Alagaesia. They are much more powerful than any human. Their breath is paralyzing to even the strongest man. That must have been what got you." Eragon nodded. "I had thought them extinct. Galbatorix must have discovered some eggs."

"Galbatorix?" Eragon said, stunned, "why would the king bring those creatures into the world?"

Brom shook his head. "I don't know. I don't even know why one of them was here."

"They were searching for Saphira's egg," said Eragon.

Brom stiffened. "This is bad. Galbatorix must know the egg was here. And now that I killed that one, he will send legions of troops after you."

"Why would he be after me?" asked Eragon. He was just a poor farmboy. Why would Galbatorix care?

"Because you are a Rider!" cried Brom. "Galbatorix is the only Rider left in Alagaesia. He wants to create a whole new generation of Riders under his command."

It took Eragon a minute to process this. The King, the most powerful man in Alagaesia, was after him. All because he had picked up that stupid rock in the Spine. _No, not stupid,_ thought Eragon. _Saphira is the best thing that ever happened to me._

"So Galbatorix doesn't want to kill me?" asked Eragon.

Brom laughed. "He would only kill you if he thought you were a threat to him. And trust me boy, you wouldn't be able to do so much as lace your boots without Galbatorix's permission."

Eragon took time to reflect. He could solve the whole problem by turning himself in to the Empire. But did he really want to live like that? Under the thumb of the most powerful man in Alagaesia?

Eragon thought. "How do you know all this"

Brom looked out the window for a minute before turning back to Eragon. "My sources will remain my own. I will tell you what you need to know."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the two. Eragon picked at the remainder of his food while Brom looked out the window. Eventually, Eragon said, "So... you killed that...Raz'ac thing?"

Brom smiled. "Aye. The damn thing just wouldn't die. It took three hacks to behead it. By then, half the village was there." He stopped and scowled. "You have no idea what trouble you caused. I could barely keep your dragon a secret from the villagers, and everyone knows about the Raz'ac. They're not going to stop until they get you Eragon. I should skin you for ruining my quiet, peaceful life."

After he talked to Brom, his uncle, aunt, and cousin came in. Eragon spent most of the time assuring them that he was alright. Eventually he made up the excuse that he was tired and needed to rest. Eventually they left him to rest.

* * *

The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon when Eragon was awakened by a great commotion. He sprang out of bed to see what was the matter.

He ran down the road to the edge of the forest. There was a crowd of people huddling around something. Everyone was shouting, trying to be heard. Eragon ran forward and met Roran on the outside edge of the crowd. He looked startled whn he saw Eragon. "Eragon! What are you doing? You should be in bed."

"I'm fine Roran," he said with a slight smile. "What is going on here?"

Roran shrugged. "I'll be damned if I know. They formed a ring around her and won't let anyone in."

Eragon scowled. _Stupid adults,_ he thought. Taking a deep breath, he plunged into the crowd. It took him several minutes to get to the front, and he was even pushed back outside a couple of times, but he eventually made it inside.

Standing in the middle, over the body of one of the Empire's soldiers, was a raven haired girl.

* * *

The next few hours were chaos, and Eragon had no say in anything, as he was just a child. It was decided that the girl would say in a room at Brom's house. He seemed to know more about this mysterious girl than anyone else.

It took a while, but he was finally able to get someone to tell him how she had gotten here. Apparently one of the children had been walking close to the forest when a soldier had jumped out at him. Shocked, the child had screamed, alerting everyone to his plight. A couple of men were running towards the soldier, who had picked up the boy, when something jumped out of the woods. In a flash, the child was on the ground, out of the soldier's arms, and the soldier was dead, of a stab to the chest. When everyone saw that it was the raven haired girl that had killed the soldier, they were shocked. Most grown men would not be able to kill a soldier with a hostage that quickly.

Eragon knew that it was the girl from his dreams; of that there was no doubt. He wondered how she had gotten here. She was obviously not from Carvahall, and he doubted that she would travel from Therinsford to here all by herself.

After all the commotion had settled down, Eragon went back to Brom's house. He wanted to at least talk to Brom again, if not the mysterious girl. When he entered the house, he could hear Brom and the girl talking. _Well,_ thought Eragon,_ it is more like Brom is yelling at the girl._

"Why in the name of all that is good are you here?!" thundered Brom. "You know what you risk. Your entire nation could fall. Why in the world you you leave anyway?"

Eragon was confused. _The nation could fall? Does that mean she's important? _He crept closer to listen more. Unfortunately, he bumped into a table, knocking a wooden bowl off of it. In a flash, Brom was outside, brandishing a sword at Eragon. But he was a bit too late. The girl was already right in front of him, holding a razor sharp sword to his throat.

Eragon swallowed nervously, pressing his throat closer to the sword. The scene was alluring, to say the least. He face was just inches from his, her green eyes piercing his brown ones. She smelled like crushed pine needles, even though she was covered in sweat.

Brom chuckled and lowered his sword. "Let him go Arya," he said. She slowly lowered her sword and took a few hesitant steps back. Eragon almost missed her being so close to him.

Brom chuckled again, noticing Eragon's expression. "Show her your hand," said Brom. Confused Eragon slowly lifted his right hand for her to view. When she saw the spiral mark on his palm, she gasped. Surging forward, she grabbed his hand and examined it. She rubbed at his mark, trying to get it to come off. "Ouch," muttered Eragon when she pinched the mark. He tried not to let her see his pain, but he thought she noticed anyways. Eventually, she backed away, this time with a wary look in her eyes.

"Yes Arya. Meet Eragon, the only free Rider in Alagaesia.

* * *

**DA DA DA DUUUUUMMMMMM!**

**Hehe this is getting good. I though:t I would introduce Arya a bit earlier, just to add some excitement. Next chapter (hopefully) there will be some fighting. Just be prepared.**

**WhiteWinterStar**: Don't give it away! Anyways,you'll see. :P

**Tamerlain85:** Nope definitely not.

**Spartan1117:** Hopefully this answers your question. Arya is a lot younger than this. I imagine her to be around 40 years old, maybe almost a woman. So if we were to put that in human years, I would say 15 or 16 maybe?

**Thank for the reviews and keep them coming. **


	9. Legends

**Hey guys. Sorry it took so long for me to get back to this. I've been very busy these last couple of weeks and just haven't had time to update. But here I am! I'm still fairly busy so my chapters might be either shorter than normal or delayed a bit. Sorry. No can do. Anyway, here's chapter 9!**

* * *

"Where's your dragon?" was the first thing the girl asked.

"No where near here," Eragon responded. _Who is this girl?_ he thought, _and why did Brom tell her a was a Rider?_

The strange girl turned back to Brom, who was leaning up against the door to his room. As she turned, her hair flew behind her head, barring her ear. It was pointed.

_She's an... elf? _thought Eragon. He was confused. He had heard legends about elfs. About how they were blood-thirsty savages who would kill anything in sight. Not one had been seen by a human in Alagaesia in almost a century. Legends say they were hiding in the forest to the east. _What's an elf doing here?_

Arya spoke to Brom in a strange language Eragon didn't understand. Brom looked surprised, then worried. He spoke to her in the same strange language. They carried on in a heated conversation for several minutes. Eragon took the time to inspect Arya a little more closely. In his dreams he had only gotten slight glimpses of her. She was about his height and age. Her curly, shiny black hair went down to her shoulder blades. She was obviously athletic; her body was fit and slim. As much as Eragon hated it, he was attracted to her. He couldn't help it. Even as he thought this his eyes drifted down to-

"Eragon!"

"Wha-"

Brom smirked at him. "I said call your dragon."

Eragon blushed as he saw Arya looking at him. "Into town? Someone will see her. Even at night."

"I know. We'll meet at the meadow at the bend of the river." The place was well-known to many people, but was concealed well. Eragon knew that was where Uncle Garrow and Aunt Marian had... dated.

"Alright, but I'll need to get closer to her to tell her. I can barely reach her from here." Brom nodded, like he understood what he was talking about. _Thats weird,_ thought Eragon.

* * *

The sun was just peaking over the horizon when Eragon arrived at the meadow. His thighs and groin-area hurt from riding Brom's horse. He had borrowed it to get closer to Saphira. Eragon could feel her getting closer as he dismounted.

"About time you got here," said Brom in his usual condescending manner.

Eragon groaned and walked over to the river to get a drink. He had ridden for an hour, half an hour to get close enough to communicate with Saphira, and half an hour back. He really didn't like horses.

Arya was sitting by the river, about 20 meters away from Eragon. He could see she was sharpening her sword. She would rub the stone she had against the blade for a few strokes, then wash the metal shavings off in the shallow water. Eragon had done the same thing with Garrow's scythe many times.

It took another 5 minutes, but Saphira finally arrived. Eragon could tell that she was tired. She had never flown ten miles before. She could get most of the food she wanted close to the farm. _  
_

_So this is the old man you keep telling me about_, said Saphira. Eragon had told her numerous times about Brom and his knowledge of dragons.

_Yes,_ responded Eragon. Saphira snorted.

Brom was walking slowly around Saphira, as if he was examining her. "Good form, nicely colored scales. In perfect health. May I?" He was standing in front of her again, asking if he could examine her head. She snorted in agreement, sending a small chute of smoke out of her nostrils.

Brom turned her head all over the plae, scrutinizing her eyes, teeth, and mouth. "She's in perfect health." _How does he know so much about dragons? _thought Eragon. He turned to Arya. She was frozen in place, still sitting by the river. She looked...guilty.

Brom finally finished looking at Saphira and backed away. Saphira turned her head to look at the elf. Arya shrank back, dropping her sword and stone. Saphira snapped her jaws, staring intently at Arya. _They must be talking to each other_, realized Eragon.

Brom seemed to realize it too, but he kept silent. After a minute, Arya stood up and sheathed her sword, noticeably relaxed.

Brom rolled his eyes, then set his face. "Well now that the gang's all here, we can get serious." He sat down and motioned for the others to do the same.

"I'll make this simple. Carvahall is surrounded by soldiers."

"What!?" said Eragon. This was news to him.

"The Raz'ac that I had to kill to save your sorry ass wasn't the only one. The other one went back to the Empire to get support. And now they're back. The soldier Arya killed last night was probably scouting the village. They're looking for you Eragon."

"Me?" asked Eragon. "Why would they be looking for me?"

"Because you're a Dragon Rider," said Arya.

"Who cares?" asked Eragon. "I bet there are tons of them."

Arya looked shocked. "He doesn't know?"

Eragon frowned. "I don't know what?"

Brom sighed. "Not many humans know. Galbatorix made sure."

"Is someone going to tell me what's going on?" _Do you know what they're taking about Saphia?,_ he asked.

_Unfortunately,_ she responded.

"It's a long tale," said Brom, "You better get comfortable.

"About a century and a half ago there were many Dragon Riders. In fact, there was a whole Order of them. Made up of both elves and humans, they were wise and powerful, their only goal being to preserve the peace. The whole country of Alagaesia was peaceful. Sure, there was the occasional fight that got bigger, but for the most part, the country was at peace.

"About this time, a young boy named Galbatorix became a Rider. He did so the normal way: when an egg came around to his city, he touched it and it hatched for him. His dragon's name was Jornunvosk. And thus he joined the ranks of the Riders.

"He was a remarkable student, far exceeding anyone of his age. He became the youngest ever to become a full Rider. After a student becomes a full Rider, it is customary for them to tour Alagaesia, learning about the other races and lands. Galbatorix and his dragon did this, along with two other young Riders. One night, they camped in the southern reaches of the Spine.

"They were spotted by a group of young Urgals looking to prove themselves. The Urgals attacked, and the Riders fought back. Both of the Riders and their dragons were killed, in addition to Galbatorix's dragon Jarnunvosk. In his rage, Galbatorix killed all of the Urgals. He withdrew in despair, and spent 5 years in the forest, where he was believed dead.

"Eventually he returned to the Riders, and asked them to grant him another dragon. However the elders denied him, for they sensed the madness underneath. Enraged, he left again.

"Soon afterwards, it was believed he met a young Rider named Morzan. Galbatorix and Morzan killed another young Rider and bonded his dragon with Galbatorix with black magic. The dragon's name was Shurikan. Together they recruited twelve other Riders to their cause, and together with Morzan they became known as the Forsworn.

"Together, the fourteen Riders attacked the Riders' city Doru Areaba. During the battle there was a massive explosion, which destroyed all but three of the dragon eggs the Riders had. It is believed that during the siege the leader of the Riders Vrael was able to defeat Galbatorix but hesitated on the final blow. Galbatorix was able to wound Vrael and then win the battle. Vrael and several other Riders were able to escape. Galbatorix chased Vrael to a small outpost near Gil'ead. There Vrael was defeated, and the Riders fell forever. From there, Galbatorix went to the city of Ileria, where he killed the king and proclaimed himself king. He then renamed the city Uru'baen.

"When the wild dragons found out about Galbatorix and his quest for domination, they flew out to attack Galbatorix in Uru'baen and attacked. When it became clear that they were defeated, they returned to their nests and destroyed all of their eggs, knowing it would be better for their race to go extinct than for them to fall into Galbatorix's hands. Since then, Galbatorix has been trying to get the three eggs he recovered from the wrecks of Doru Araeba to hatch."

It took Eragon a moment to let all of it sink in. _I'm the only Dragon Rider? Well there is Galbatorix, but I don't think that counts. _

"Well, don't you have some question?" asked Brom, a slight smile of his face.

"Yeah, how did I get Saphira's egg?"

Arya looked at Brom and said something in their secret language. Brom nodded. "Yes...yes he is."

Brom turned back to Eragon. "Have you ever heard of the Varden?"

Eragon had heard bits and pieces about the Varden. The occasional traveler or soldier would talk about how the Varden would raid their supply lines. Apparently they were a rebel group that seeks nothing but destruction.

"Yeah, I've heard of them."

"No doubt you've heard of their savagery," said Brom sarcastically. "Many years ago, they managed to steal an egg from Galbatorix himself. The Varden needed a Dragon Rider in order to even stand a chance of overthrowing Galbatorix. The elves are allies with the Varden, and they took turns trying to get the egg to hatch among their own race. They have been ferrying the egg back and forth for about half a century."

_That doesn't explain how Eragon got my egg,_ said Saphira.

"I think Arya can tell you that," said Brom.

"Wait-" said Eragon, "You can hear her?"

_Anyone can hear me if I want them too,_ said Saphira.

Brom chuckled. "You shouldn't underestimate your dragon." Eragon nodded.

"What can Arya tell us?" he asked.

Arya sighed. "As you can probably tell, I'm an elf. I was with the group carrying the egg. We were carrying it to the Varden. We were ambushed. We were a large group; there were twenty of us, but we didn't stand a chance against their numbers. There were close to 100 Urgals. There was-"

"Wait a second," interrupted Eragon, "Why were you with them? You're a girl!"

Arya stood up in anger. "My race does not discriminate against women like you do! I am not some weakling!"

"Calm down Arya!" snapped Brom. Then, in a softer tone he said, "I think he was reffering to the fact that you're a child."

"Oh," said Arya. She genuine;y looked surprised. "Elves live a lot longer than humans. We also age slower. I'm old enough to be your mother."

_Dangit_, thought Eragon. "Oh... you look my age."

Saphira made a choking noise. It took Eragon a moment to realize that it was a laugh. He blushed. Suddenly, he got a picture of himself in Saphira's eyes. His face was beet red.

"Anyways," continued Arya, "There was also a sorcerer there, but he was much more powerful than any human sorcerer. He killed our strongest spellcaster with a flick of his wrist. Anyways, I got the egg and was able to transport it to Brom. I must have missed by a little." Eragon nodded. That explained how he got Saphira's egg. "I then fled. I was able to run all the way here, trying to get to Brom. When I saw that boy get attacked by the soldier, I had to protect him."

"Wait, wait, wait a second!" said Eragon again. "You can use magic?! Anything else I should know about you?"

Arya smiled slightly. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a shriek behind her. Eragon saw a woman, he could tell by the long hair, run away into the forest.

Brom cursed and started to get up, but Saphira was already in the air, lunging towards the woman.

"Don't hurt her!" shouted Eragon. Even as he ran into the forest, he heard another shriek. He ran forward and saw Saphira standing with a paw on top of someone. He jogged over to see-

"Eragon...," said Roran stepping forward slowly, "Is that a dragon?"

* * *

**There you go! A nice long chapter for all you feeling rejected. **

**Review Responses:**

**Elemental Dragon Slayer:** I know it pisses me off too. I try not to screw people off like that.

**WhiteWinterStar:**Haha I know how you feel.

**Again reviews are appreciated. I think that it's really going to get intense in the next chapter or two. Thanks again!**


	10. Rematch?

**Hey guys. I know this chapter is short, but you could either have this short chapter now or a longer chapter in a few days. Anyways, here's chapter 10. **

* * *

It took Roran almost 5 seconds to realize exactly who Saphira was practically stepping on, but once he did he freaked out.

"KATRINA!" he cried. He turned to Eragon. "Get that _thing_ off of Katrina!"

Eragon smirked. Katrina was Roran's girlfriend. They spent most of Roran's time in Carvahall together. With long luxurious auburn hair and a fulsome body, she was considered the cream of the crop in term of young women in Carvahall. The only downside was her father, Sloan. Sloan was the village butcher. He was a selfish bastard; those were the only words Eragon knew to describe him with. The only thing he really cared for was Katrina. Roran knew that Sloan wouldn't allow him to marry Katrina if he was as poor as he was, that was why he was going to Therinsford. Apparently they were trying to say goodbye in a different way.

_Let her go_, said Eragon to Saphira. She snorted and lifted her paw off of the sprawling woman.

Saphira snorted and lifted her paw off of Katrina. The young woman scrambled up and into Roran's arms, still looking terrified.

"what are you doing here?!" asked Brom. He was bursting with rage. Behind him, Arya had her sword out, twitching nervously, like she planned to use it. Only then did Ragon really realize what situation they were in. Eragon hadn't told anyone about Saphira. Brom had figured out on his own in his mysterious ways. This must come as a pretty big shock to Roran.

"What are you doing here?" asked Roran, looking somewhat annoyed. Eragon could understand; he was planning a big night.

Brom growled. "Nothing you need to know." He turned to Arya and said, "You're going to need to erase their memories of this."

Roran and Katrina both took a step back, somewhat scarred. "WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!" shouted Eragon. "You can't just erase their memories!"

Arya scowled. "They can't know about Saphira. We have to make sure they won't tell anyone."

Roran stepped forward shakily. "Who are you?" he asked Arya.

She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could they hear another rustling noise. Turning around they saw a group of soldiers. Eragon recognized them as from the Empire from their read and black uniforms withz the orange flames on their chest. At their head was another one of those creatures that had attacked Eragon, the Ra'zac.

The Ra'zac stepped forward. "Give ussss the boy," it's said in a hissing voice, "and you sssshall live."

* * *

**MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

**Sorry about the cliffhanger, but I couldn't help it. Once again sorry about the long update, but they're only going to get longer. I'm starting an original story on Fictionpress soon so I'm going to be working on 2 stories. **

**Review responses:**

Tamerlain85: Yeah I'm sorry about the long wait. And I want Arya to look around 15 or 16 years old, but in reality actually be about 35-40.

Vizual-Era: Haha well here you go.

Elemental Dragon Slayer: I know exactly what you mean. I hate when people make him seem dumb. I just wanted to make him seem like an ignorant 14 year old boy who hadn't hear the story of Galbatorix yet.

: Haha yeah. Looks like they ruined Roran's night.

BlackRedWhite: I wasn't really thinking casual and cool, but more of a trying to absorb it all.


	11. A Deadly Race

**I know. I'm a total bastard, giving you a short charter and then making you wait forever for this next chapter. Sorry. I've been really busy. I'm going to try and get in the groove again and get the story to progress a bit. Thanks for your patience. **

* * *

**_From chapter 10:_**

_The Ra'zac stepped forward. "Give ussss the boy," it's said in a hissing voice, "and you sssshall live."_

_..._

Arya and Brom both drew swords from their hips. Brom tossed Eragon an extra dagger he had at his belt. Saphira growled and crouched: prepared to attack. Katrina screamed.

Brom stepped forward. "Why don't you leave, and we'll let you live."

Eragon handled the knife carefully. He had used knives for plenty of things: cutting vegetables, shortening ropes, even slaughtering pigs and deer, but he had never had to use a knife in a real fight. It was usually just a stick he would whack his friends with.

The Ra'zac laughed shrilly. The noise made the hair on the back of Eragon's neck stand up. "You think you stand a chance againsssst usssss? We will crush you!"

It was true. There were four of them, five if Roran counted. He was holding an unconscious Katrina near the edge of the forest. Eragon saw him set her down and pick up a hefty piece of solid wood. So five against one Ra'zac analso most 30 soldiers. But then again, they did have a dragon.

Arya spoke to Eragon in his head. _Be ready to get on Saphira and flee. _

_What? _replied Eragon, _I'm not leaving!_

_Be quiet! You are more important than either Brom or I _exclaimedArya.

The Ra'zac drew it's sword, a thick jagged thing that almost looked like a piece of misshapen metal. Eragon tensed, but before the thing could give the sign to charge, a common broke out from behind it. Eragon saw two soldiers fall. Then another. The Ra'Zachary turned and slashed out with his sword. A big farmer's scythe flew one way, and a big burly man fell the other. The man hit the ground and looked at Eragon.

It was his Uncle Garrow.

* * *

Eragon and Roran screamed at the same time.

What was he doing here? He must have followed Roran when he snuck out. But none of that mattered. All Eagon saw was his uncle on the ground, with a big bloody scratch on his chest.

Ra'zac laughed loudly and raised his sword to finish Garrow.

Eragon didn't remember the knife leaving his hand. But he did remember the flight. The world seemed to slow as it flew towards the Ra'zac. It was a race between the knife and the Ra'zac's sword.

Eragon hardly noticed as Arya jumped forward and yelled something vaguely like "bring singer."

There was a bright flash and the dagger disappeared into the chest of the Ra'zac. And the sword disappeared into Garrow's chest.

Eragon saw the Ra'zac burst into green flames. It screeched and flailed around, igniting the clothes of several other soldiers. The whole thing was a mess. But all Eragon saw was his Uncle laying on the ground, with the twisted piece of metal sticking out of his chest. His pale eyes were looking over at Eragon or Roran, he didn't really care which one. He could see the blood pooling around Garrow's body.

The next thing he knew, he was on his knees, and Arya, Saphira, and Brom were lunging at the remaining troops. It was over in seconds. The confused soldiers were slaughtered by Arya's speed, Saphira's savagery, and Brom's strength.

Eragon quickly lept to his feet and rushed over to his uncle. Roran was right by his side. By the time they got to him, Brom was removing his sword from the last soldier.

Eragon got there and grabbed his uncles face saying, "don't die, don't die" over and over again. But even as he said it, he saw the last spark of life flash in inhis uncle's eyes, the disappear for forever.

* * *

**Well I hope it was a good chapter. I know it's not the longest or the happiest, but it had to happen eventually. Once again, sorry for the long wait. I'll try to start the next chapter immediately. Reviews would be great. **

**Thanks a ton for reading!**

**times-a-tickin**


	12. Stand Off

**Hey everyone. As promised, here's the next chapter. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't get any reviews, but whatever. Once again, sorry for the short last chapter, but I was getting back into the grove of writing and needed a little warm-up. Anyways, thanks for your patience and here's chapter 12!**

* * *

The funeral was short and quiet.

Brom said a couple of words, then Roran. Eragon couldn't. No words could describe what he was feeling. So he just stood there, solemnly looking at his uncle lying in a shallow grave.

It had only been two hours since the fight. The sun had just finished rising. Aunt Marian didn't even know Garrow was dead yet. Both Roran and Eragon had wanted to go tell her, but Brom insisted on secrecy and a quick funeral. They hadn't even dug the grave themselves. Saphira had done it in a couple of seconds.

Eragon flashed back to the moment he had died. He had screamed at Arya to heal him; she could us magic after all. But she had just stood there, stoic and uncaring. He had even tried to hit her, just so he could get her to react, or do anything. But she had moved faster that he thought possible and flipped him onto the ground. He stayed like that for more than an hour, just crying.

After Brom and Roran had spoken, Saphira had pushed a big pile of dirt back on top of Garrow. In seconds it was just a brown patch of dirt. They moved a rock over to the head of the grave. Arya inscribed some words on the rock at Brom's instruction.

_Here lies Garrow  
Son of Cadoc  
Beloved to Marian  
Father to Roran  
Uncle to Eragon  
May he be remembered_

It wasn't the best epitaph. Eragon had wanted to be noted as Garrow's son, as Garrow had always treated him, but Brom seemed oddly resistant. "You're his nephew. Nothing's going to change that boy." Eragon was too tired to argue.

Eragon was very tired. He went to the edge of the forest intending to fall asleep, not caring what Brom said.

Brom didn't say anything, but simply kicked him in the side.

"Get up boy!" snapper Brom, after Eragon refused to get up. "Do you think we're safe here, with the city surrounded?"

"I don't care!" yelled Eragon into the ground. "Let them come and get me."

Brom sneered. "What about your aunt? She's still in town, as helpless as ever."

That got Eragon's attention. What would they do to Aunt Marian if they captured her? They had to go rescue her. He quickly pushed himself to his feet and ran over to Saphira. "Come on then! Let's go get her."

Once again he ended up on the ground at the hand of Arya. "Stupid boy!" she sneered, "What are you going to do? Fly in with your dragon and pick her up? There's soldiers everywhere! You'll be dead in a second!"

Eragon sat up stubbornly. "Fine! What do you suggest we do, your majesty?"

Arya seemed shocked that he had addressed her like that. She turned to Brom. Eragon could tell they were having a mental conversation. After a few seconds her face relaxed and she turned back to Eragon. He wanted to ask her what that was about, but he didn't really care. All he cared about was saving his aunt.

Brom stepped forward. "Well I don't think you should go anywhere near the town Eragon. They obviously know who you are. The second a soldier spots you, you'll be captured." He looked at Arya. "Too many people saw you when you killed that soldier. You can't just go walking around. And I killed the first Ra'zac, so I'll be suspicious too." He turned to Roran.

It took Roran a second to even realize Brom was looking at him. He was looking at the ground silently. When he did realize Brom was staring at him, he said, "Wait what?"

Brom scowled again and said, "You're the only one who can go get your mother."

Roran looked scared for a second, then swallowed and put on a brave face. "Alright. Should I bring her back here?"

Brom nodded. "And bring your girlfriend while you're at it. We can't have anyway for the Empire to have one up on us."

Roran looked shocked. "Katrina? We should just leave her out of this. She's not important." He sudden;y turned beet red. "Well at least not to the Empire."

Brom shook his head. "No, but she is important to you. If she was captured, you would go after her. And if you were captured, Eragon would go after you. And we can't have that."

Roran nodded. Eragon scowled. "So what am I supposed to do?" he asked impatiently. "Just sit here?"

Brom shook his head again. "No. You and Arya are going back to your farm to get any supplies you will need for traveling."

"Traveling?" said Eragon incredulously. "We can't leave, not with soldiers everywhere!"

Arya broke her silence. "You are the reason the soldiers are here. Galbatorix wants you and Saphira. He doesn't care about the town."

Eragon scowled. How could she be this smart?

"Fine," sneered Eragon. "But Saphira can't hold us both. Saphira and I will have to go alone."

Arya smiled slightly. "I will run on the ground. Elves can run much faster than you humans." Eragon scowled. Everything she said sounded condescending. So what she was old enough to be his mother? She still looked like a child.

"Fine," said Eragon, "keep up." He jumped onto Saphira's back and she took off.

* * *

_**Roran's POV**_

Soon after Eragon and the weird girl left, Roran set off for the village. Brom stayed behind. _His knees probably hurt,_ thought Roran. It had been a rough day. His girlfriend was almost killed by a dragon, then he found out Eragon was "bonded" to this dragon. Next his father is killed and the whole world falls apart. The only thing that kept him from falling apart was the thought of his mother and Katrina. He had to save them.

Even though Brom said the soldiers probably wouldn't care if he came into the village, he went through the woods. There was a faster route, but it was through a clear area. He wanted to remain hidden as long as possible.

It wasn't a long walk to the village. Since there was no actual wall around it, he just darted between two buildings and entered the street on the other side.

His mother was staying at Horst's house, near the center of town. As he neared the house, he saw several soldiers outside. Horst was at the door, arguing with the leader. Roran sensed trouble and went to the tanning shop, just across from Horst's house. He made casual conversation with Gedric, who was a friend of his, while keeping one eye on the soldiers.

Horst continued to argue witht he troops for a couple more minutes, then reluctantly let them into his house. It was a few minutes before they came back out.

When they came back out, they had a woman with a hood over her head with them. The lead soldier was holding her arm and roughly pulling her away from the house, despite Horst's protests. But despite their attempts to hide the woman's identity, Roran immediately recognized the dress, the bracelets, the shoes, the figure.

It was his mother.

* * *

Roran was frozen for a couple of seconds. He was too late. They were going to take his mother away, and probably kill her.

He couldn't let that happen. He quickly grabbed a large knife off of Gedric's counter. He probably used it to cut the hides he tanned, but it would work just fine for stabbing someone.

He ran out of the shop and approached the soldiers from behind. They didn't see him coming.

The soldier in the back dropped something and bent down to retrieve it. It was easy for Roran to slit his neck. After years of practice with pigs and cows, it was second nature.

Only one other soldier noticed, and he turned towards Roran. Roran shoved the knife into the stomach of the soldier, eliciting a cry of anguish. This attracted the attention of the rest of the soldiers.

He quickly grabbed the closest soldier, a skinny boy not much older than him, and held the knife to his throat. "Don't come any closer!" he warned them.

The soldiers hesitated, then laughed. The lead soldier, who was still holding his mother, stepped forward. "Roran, isn't it?"

Roran didn't respond.

The soldier's smile dropped a little, then came back. "Alright then. If you want to play that way." He drew his sword and held it to his mother's back. He heard her give a small wimper. _She must be gagged_. "Go ahead and kill him. We have lots of new recruits."

The soldier in Roran's arms shouted and tried to wiggle free of his grasp. "Gareth! NO!" shouted the soldier.

"Shut up Bran!" snapped the lead soldier, all of the amusement vanishing off of his face.

Roran smiled. "Alright Gareth. Give me my mother and I'll give you Bran. Is he your brother?"

This time it was the soldier's turn not to answer. _That means yes_, thought Roran. Well, at least he had a bargaining chip.

"Alright," said Roran. "One of your troops will walk my mother over here. Then you can have your brother."

Gareth muttered a name that Roran didn't quite hear. One of the soldiers stepped forward and grabbed his mom's arm, pushing her toward Roran. When he got halfway between Roran and the other soldiers, he stopped.

"Now give me Bran," said the soldier. Roran hesitated, then drew the soldier's sword. It had a better reach. With one hand on the soldier's shoulder and the sword against the small of his back Roran said, "walk."

The soldier did, slowly. When they finally got close to his mother, Roran stopped, forcing the soldier to stop too. They were just a couple feet away from his mother.

Roran kicked Bran's legs out from beneath him, making him fall on the ground with an "oof." Roran still pointed his sword at him. The soldier holding his mother laughed.

And a sword sprouted from his mother's chest.

* * *

**Yikes. Both parents dead in one day. Roran's having a rough day. I hope this was a good chapter. I tried to make it pretty action packed. I promise next chapter will be crazy. As in CRAZY AWESOME!**

**Anyways, please review. Reviews make me feel good about myself. **

**Thanks for reading!**

**times-a-tickin**


End file.
